24
Jun
2014
On June 17th – June 19th, Westervelt partnered with the Longleaf Alliance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Gopher Tortoise Council to offer a short course entitled Longleaf Academy 301: Restoration and Management of Gopher Tortoises and their Habitat. The event took place in Lucedale, Mississippi and included a tour of Westervelts, gopher tortoise bank, Chickasawhay Conservation Bank. 35 registrants attended the event.
Topics covered during the three day event included:
- Physical features of tortoise
- Life history and population dynamics
- Habitat requirements and management
- Habitat conservation plans, in-lieu fees, and conservation banks
- Current status in listed and non-listed range
- Cogongrass and fire ants
- Restoring fire to tortoise habitat
- Impacts to tortoises including timber harvest
- State and federal regulation
- Financing conservation for tortoises
- Conservation easements
